Pregnancy & Birth
It was in one of the last sessions of our NCT antenatal course that the trainer mentioned how it was worthwhile to do antenatal expression of colostrum. I had been ‘leaking’ since early in my pregnancy so thought I’d give it a go, and planned to pick up the small syringes we were told to use (to collect, freeze and then take into hospital with us) at my next midwife appointment.
I collected an entire bagful of tiny syringes at my next midwife appointment. What I didn’t realise was that when I was collecting said syringes and having my 40 week check-up I was in the very early stages of labour. Unfortunately the midwife didn’t check if I was dilated so off I waddled at an extremely slow pace thinking the increasing pain was another Braxton Hicks. I’d had tons of Braxton Hicks throughout the week and twice we’d even got the bags out by the door ready to head to the hospital.
I say I ‘waddled’ out of the doctor’s but that brings to mind a little happy duck. I was in a great deal of pain in my lower back from very early on in my pregnancy, and by the time I was due I was in agony and huge. I still wonder in amazement when I meet pregnant women who are out and about and walking around just days before their due date. I spent the last two weeks of my pre-baby maternity leave hardly able to walk. I woke pretty much every 30 minutes from pain in my back and pelvis and had to painfully turn myself over (or pee!).
I’d been referred to the Physio department after telling the midwife how much pain I was in at about 14 weeks in. I’d been given some exercises to do and given a support to wear. Other than that, whenever I mentioned it to the GP, I got a sort of ‘you’re pregnant – what do you expect’ attitude. I also had very bad morning sickness, which lasted until I was about five months pregnant. So my memories of pregnancy weren’t the idyllic ‘glowing’ I’d hoped for!
On that day the pain did seem to be getting more intense through the afternoon, but I’d had so many Braxton Hicks I just told myself it was probably another. My husband is a teacher and had parents’ evening that night. I didn’t want to disturb him so I just tried to distract myself (by sewing a cushion for our baby using my late mother in law’s jumper of all things!). By about 6.00ish, when I realised I was on my third shower of the afternoon (we lived in a flat that only had a shower back then otherwise I probably would’ve camped out in the bath!) because the hot water eased the pain a bit, I did start to wonder.
I texted my husband to come home straight after the parents’ evening was finished. By the time he got in at about 7.30pm I was swaying and hanging on the mantelpiece, trying to focus on my breathing as the pain came every few minutes. We agreed this probably was labour. And then things all started to move very quickly.
I’d written out at which point you’re meant to call up the hospital and so we were timing the contractions and thought they were getting closer together. By the time we called I was quite vocal when I was mid-contraction, and sounded like a steam train trying to ‘breathe away the pain’. We were told not to come in though as the contractions weren’t close enough together. About 30 minutes later - and to me it felt as though I really should be getting to hospital – they still didn’t want us in but in the end, because I couldn’t feel the baby, they told us to come. I was six centimetres dilated when we got to hospital (and we were only about a 15 minute drive away – which actually of course felt the longest drive ever). So I am glad in some way I couldn’t feel my daughter then because who knows how long we would have been told to wait!
I actually spent most of my labour in the triage ward because we wanted to try out the water birthing pool (I’d got it in my head it would take away the pain), but it took them a while to get it cleaned up from the person before us. Things became a bit of blur; I was given gas and air, I was sick everywhere and when I finally did get into the pool I remember sinking down into it and to my horror finding it didn’t actually take away the pain (though since then I have met mums who had a much ‘nicer’ time in the pool so we’re all different). I don’t know what I was
My birth story
Balham local Josie Ellis-Ross shares her moving birth experience.